The tale of a woman attacked by a rabid raccoon caught our attention this week. How could it not? We are inspired by her courage. We’re also reading about another amazing woman – Wonder Woman, though the film would be more realistic if she fought a raccoon – along with the end of car ownership, the Chicago Cubs’ marketing techniques and the news media’s struggles when faced with not covering “new news.”
Little Did She Know… – I love stories about joggers battling raccoons. This one transcends the genre by opening with the best lead I’ve read in a long time. Rich with detail, every word selected to create a picture in the reader’s mind, the opening sentence perfectly sets up the bloodshed to come. – Brandon Copple
Everyone Needs To Read This List Of How Kindergartners Reacted to ‘Wonder Woman’ – We sometimes forget how powerful media can be in influencing how we view ourselves and each other. The list of “Wonder Woman”-influenced happenings in a kindergarten classroom captures this and makes me wonder how much more quickly gender and racial equality could progress if Hollywood made more similar movies. As Uncle Ben (of “Spider-Man”) said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Hollywood and the entertainment industry certainly have great power. – Tana Watanabe
The End of Car Ownership – This article caught my eye because it’s been more than three years since our family car’s engine died and we decided to see how long we could go carless. Our experiment was about efficiency and freedom, which, ironically were for years the words associated with car ownership. As this article acknowledges, car ownership has long been part of Americans’ cultural and emotional identities. So it will take a smart PR campaign to move large portions of the population to a new model of ride sharing and self-driving cars, complete with creepy technology that knows your every move and habits. Nevertheless, I’m excited to take my first self-driving car ride someday soon. – Pam Munoz
How the Cubs’ Marketing Evolved as the Team Went From ‘Lovable Losers’ to World Series Champs – This piece lays out best practices from the marketing team that evolved the Cubs World Series Champion brand, something we touched upon in a recent blog post. Starting with “honesty is the best policy,” the article breaks down the risks the team took in abandoning the “this is our year” message and asking fans to get on board with potentially waiting a few years to see success on the field, trusting there was a long-term plan. That combined with putting the fans center stage, reviving longstanding Cubs traditions with campaigns such as #FlyTheW and hosting a birthday party for Wrigley Field, and taking advantage of their national audience are just a few takeaways from the article. Plus, it gives us another reason to talk about Chicago’s favorite topic: the Cubs. – Jessica McNellis
The Media Bias Toward “New” News Helped the GOP Hide Its Secret Health Care Plan – Fair warning that this contains political opinions that some people might not agree with. But I was struck by how the article addresses a blind spot in the news media regarding what the author calls “new news.” Essentially, without hearings, events, announcements, etc., really important matters just won’t get covered, or covered that much. It reminds me of something a journalism professor once told me about a particular news outlet: “It does a good job of covering the news but not uncovering the news.” – Paul Wilson
A Mother’s Death, A Botched Inquiry and a Sheriff at War – A frightening story about how local officials can abuse their power. A fascinating story about how reporters’ questions can change the arc of a story. A tragic story about a grieving family torn apart. This is all those things and, not incidentally, just a great story, period. – Brandon Copple
Blog
Though nearly all in-house counsel say information overload a problem, firms plan to create more content – and nearly three-quarters of CMOs say have no documented content strategy.
A survey released today by strategic communications firm Greentarget and consulting firm Zeughauser Group shows a near-unanimous feeling among in-house counsel that “information overload” is a problem in their daily efforts to consume information about business, industry and legal topics. Nevertheless, law firms plan to create more content – even though a strong majority haven’t yet documented a content strategy.
The accompanying report detailing the findings of the 2017 State of Digital & Content Marketing Survey also shows that law firm chief marketing officers know the information overload problem exists. But just 26 percent said they had a documented content strategy – up from 13 percent in the previous survey in 2015, still surprisingly low. Given that void, this year’s report includes key guidance on content strategy and distribution.
“The slight improvement in the documentation of content strategy is a positive sign. But more law firms need to develop and document their own strategies if they hope to develop and optimally deliver robust content in support of their most important practices. In an era of information overload, strategy brings clarity and the ultimate opportunity for firms is to bring the right content, to the right audiences and the right time on the channels where (and when) they congregate,” said John Corey, founding partner of Greentarget.
To help law firms at this important inflection point, Greentarget and Zeughauser Group have taken a new step in this year’s report: providing guidance to those firms – culled from some top law firm marketers and content strategists – which we hope will drive new thinking and strategic adjustments to content operations across the legal industry.
“The guidance focuses on content creation as well as content distribution, which is becoming increasingly important as firms try to stand out in an increasingly competitive legal and media landscape,” Corey said.
The Highlights:
In-House Counsel Survey:
- Ninety-six percent of in-house counsel said information overload was a problem in their daily efforts to consume information regarding business, industry and legal topics affecting their companies.
- LinkedIn remained the dominant social media tool that in-house counsel use for professional reasons, with 73 percent saying they had used it within the past week – up from 68 percent in the previous survey.
- Despite the flow of so-called “fake news,” traditional media (e.g., The Wall Street Journal and The Economist) remain the most credible sources in the eyes of in-house counsel; 95 percent said those sources were very or somewhat credible.
- Fifty-two percent of in-house counsel ranked law firm content as very good or excellent, compared with 43 percent in 2015.
- Eighty-one percent of law firm CMOs said they will produce more content in 2017 than in 2016, and none said they will produce less. Nearly half (49 percent) of CMOs said their content budgets would increase over last year while the same number said they would remain the same.
- Twenty-six percent of respondents said their firms had documented content strategies, which is up from 13 percent in 2015. Forty five percent said they had undocumented strategies, and 23 percent said they were planning to implement content strategies in the next 12 months.
- The greatest challenge for content marketers was a lack of engagement from attorneys within the firm (46 percent) followed by a lack of staff time (26 percent).
The nation watched Thursday as former FBI Director James Comey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee in what will likely go down as one of history’s most notable congressional hearings. We try to be mostly apolitical here at Recent Reads, but we think we can share some great journalism about what, on Twitter, was billed as #ComeyDay.
And we’re really not all Comey, all the time in this edition. We’re also reading about the 1967 war, why dieting isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution and important thoughts about “Wonder Woman.”
With that, here’s Recent Reads.
Day-Drinking to Fox News: Inside the D.C. Bars Showing Comey’s Testimony – Comey’s testimony was the story of the month, maybe even of the year, and it will be a major headline for weeks to come. As PR professionals, we’re constantly challenged to pitch the news as-is while simultaneously thinking two steps ahead about the second- or third-day stories. And while the nature of the publication perhaps allows them to write stories like this one, Rolling Stone hit the nail on the head in terms of finding a unique angle. I might not have been positioning sources to discuss the D.C. bar scene on June 8, but I certainly would have liked to be there. – Agatha Howland
How cable news networks reacted to Comey’s hearing – The video footage of Comey’s testimony was, of course, pretty much the same whichever channel you watched. So … what better way to show the biases of cable news than by matching up the chryons – those words that are on display at the bottom of the screen – throughout the hearing? It’s brilliant in its simplicity, and definitely shows how we have different realities, depending on where we get our information. – Paul Wilson
1967 war: Six days that changed the Middle East – Most of us are fully aware of the perpetual land dispute between the Israelis and Palestinians. But we may not know or fully understand how that regional instability became the norm. Many of the region’s present-day trouble can be traced back to the Six-Day War (June 5-10, 1967), which caused a backlash that has become the crux of animosity between Israel and its neighbors. This BBC piece details the numerous sociopolitical factors that continue to play out in the region today. – Rich Petrilli
‘Wonder Woman’ And Gal Gadot Have The One Thing The DCEU Has Been Missing – I love Paul Tassi’s review of “Wonder Woman” because it’s a great example of a man writing respectfully about feminist issues. He acknowledges in the opening paragraph that he’s going to leave the discussion of the importance of this movie (in the eyes of the feminist movement) to female writers and links to a Daily Beast article. His review respects that the movie is a success because of who the character is, not because Gal Gadot is beautiful or because “a bunch of women supported a woman.” At a time when fake news is everywhere, people just want the truth. As Tassi writes, that’s why people love this movie; the filmmakers let Wonder Woman be Wonder Woman, instead of changing her to be what Hollywood thinks that audiences want. – Tana Watanabe
The Weight Loss Trap: Why Your Diet Isn’t Working – There are an infinite number of articles about losing weight, but health writer Alexandra Sifferlin takes a different approach. She argues that no matter what diet program you commit to, no matter how tenacious you are, you may not receive the results you’re hoping for. Why? Well, Kevin Hall, a scientist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), goes into detail about a recent discovery he made: the best diet for you may not be the best diet for your neighbor and, believe it or not, there are people on a diet program that lose 60 pounds and keep it off for years while other people, following the same program religiously, gain 5 pounds. – Jess DuBrock
After the tragic events in Manchester this week, we needed some good news – and some good storytelling. So our submissions this week include a true rags-to-riches story, some great leadership secrets and a shift within law firms toward the acceptance of therapy. And if you need a good cry, you should read this week’s final submission, about (in effect) slavery in a 20th-century American household.
Also, check out our blog posts this week on how public relations can adapt in a shifting media landscape and PR and social media lessons derived from the world champion Chicago Cubs.
With that, here’s Recent Reads.
How a Rancho Cucamonga janitor came to invent Flamin’ Hot Cheetos – I loved this profile of PepsiCo’s director of multicultural sales and marketing across North America. It’s one of those rare but amazing true “American dream” stories combining hard work, ingenuity, risk-taking, an accessible company CEO and a little luck. I may steal his description of “starting at the beginning” rather than “starting at the bottom” for when my daughter whines about her first less-than-glamorous summer job in a few years. – Laura Miller
The Seven Leadership Secrets of Great Team Captains – One of my favorite Harvard Business Review articles is entitled “The Making of the Corporate Athlete,” which compares the training and performance habits of professional athletes, namely golf and tennis players, to those of corporate executives. Spoiler: the former trains endlessly for short performance, while the latter does no training for extremely long performance. This Wall Street Journal article is another great read in this genre, covering the lessons we can take away from the greatest sports team captains. Some of the lessons are expected, but many are surprising. Great team captains pride themselves on their willingness to do the grunt work and many hate giving speeches. – Aaron Schoenherr
Law Firms Finally Say It’s OK to See a Therapist – It seems we’ve come a long way toward de-stigmatizing therapy, but we also have a ways to go. Lawyers work in a high-stress environment, so it’s no wonder that some suffer from anxiety or depression, or turn to pharmaceuticals. It’s uplifting to see that some of the big players are spearheading this movement and working to get rid of the stigma around mental health issues. – Tana Watanabe
My Family’s Slave – Odds are you’ve seen this article circulating on social media in the past couple weeks. Maybe you passed on it because you were busy – or exhausted by the nonstop news cycle that is 2017. But neglecting to read this article, to the end, is a mistake. It’s richly told, astonishing and simply pulls no punches. I often discount stories told by journalists about their own lives, as it seems that the reporting would be fairly easy and the perspectives almost certainly biased. I still have those reservations about this story, but it’s so good that it doesn’t matter. If it isn’t the inspiration for a movie by the end of the decade, I’ll be shocked. – Paul Wilson
In the moments before the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in a dramatic Game 7 last fall — in what’s been called the greatest game ever — Kevin Saghy, the team’s assistant director of communications, was in a tiny room just off the playing field, waiting for history to happen.
Saghy recounted those halcyon days at a Public Relations Society of America event on April 26 at Harry Caray’s Restaurant in Chicago. He discussed the team’s PR and media strategy — one that’s evolved significantly this decade around the proliferation of social media and the improved fortune of the Cubs.
Saghy, who was joined on a panel by Comcast SportsNet Chicago sideline reporter Kelly Crull and moderator T.K. Gore, also of CSN Chicago, talked about his time with the Cubs, including the intensive preparation required leading up to Game 7. Saghy’s team had to be ready for any outcome – whether it meant the Cubs ending a 108-year championship drought or the team returning to Chicago, consigned again to wait till next year.
“But could you plan for that Game 7 — how it worked out?” Saghy said.
Given the wild finish to the game – the Cubs won in 10 innings — the answer is almost certainly no. But preparation was still important, as was being adaptable, Saghy said. We talk a lot about those two principles at Greentarget, and Saghy’s discussion of his time with the Cubs made us think of a couple other Greentarget values that we try to live and embody every day.
Failing forward — or at least not being afraid to
In early 2015, the Cubs were coming off their fifth consecutive losing season. But with a host of young charismatic players — and with some key free agent signings in the previous offseason, including proven yet quirky manager Joe Maddon — Saghy figured it was time to take more risks on social media.
Saghy’s basic thinking was that fans would be open to a “funnier/edgier” tone if the product on the field was better. It wasn’t all smooth — Saghy recounted one incident in which a rival team was mad about what he felt was a harmless joke. “It was a good reminder about being humble,” he said.
But the overall strategy worked. The Cubs went on to dominate their World Series opponents, the Cleveland Indians, as well as all other teams throughout the 2016 playoffs on social media. Even before the World Series run, the Cubs’ strategy seemed to be working. Newswhip reported in April 2016 that the Cubs ranked fourth best for engagement on Facebook – even though they were posting less than any other team.
In addition to compelling video content, which naturally works for a sports franchise, the Cubs’ social media strategy capitalizes on the personality of its likable young team. It’s hard to look through the Cubs’ Facebook and not catch their unbridled passion and joy for the game. Other teams should find a way to emulate this enthusiasm and match their own fans’ zealousness for social success.
Be Authentic
Saghy’s comments rang especially true when we recently recalibrated our social media strategy at Greentarget. A key component for the Cubs, and for us, is authenticity. For the Cubs, this meant altering their tone on social media to mirror their younger players and a loose, energetic clubhouse. By having more fun and interactions with their followers, the Cubs social media team created a social presence that was indicative of the team’s culture.
For us, authenticity in social media, and other external channels like our blog and newsletter, means creating compelling content that we believe will add to a smarter conversation. To do that we use social listening to ensure we have a solid understanding of what our audience is talking about and responding to.
Similar to the Cubs, when we updated our social strategy, we wanted to illustrate how much fun we have on a regular basis. In order to do this, we’ve used more pictures and visual elements and altered our tone to reflect our upbeat and positive culture. The idea is to create social profiles that are representative of who we are and what we value — much like the Cubs did.
Now if someone would just throw us a parade.
It’s no secret that journalism remains in the throes of disruption. Print newspapers and magazines continue to fold or shrink, editorial talent has been shed, reporting deadlines are incredibly tight or nonexistent and cults of personality are being perpetuated through various channels. And, fair or not, the public’s trust in our watchdog organizations has declined.
We’re optimistic, however. We embrace the stretch that accompanies this new environment. And in the midst of all this change we also firmly believe that, with the explosion of news sources and the onset of information overload, it’s never been more important to contribute to the conversation in a way that makes it smarter and more meaningful.
With this as a backdrop, we picked the brains of three of our own PR professionals at different rungs on the organizational ladder. We asked about the challenges facing the news business – particularly editorial turnover – and how public relations firms can stay ahead of the curve. As we spoke with our colleagues, we noticed common themes that reflect our core values. While each theme is important in and of itself, none can be truly effective on its own.
Be Mindful and Aware
As news junkies, we scan headlines, monitor specific publications and subscribe to alerts and daily roundups so we can position our clients effectively and in a timely fashion. Just as importantly, though, this routine allows us to keep tabs on reporter moves and beat changes. Furthermore, we’ve established strong connections with hundreds of reporters and editors, many of whom want to continue working with us after a change is made.
“It’s all about fostering relationships,” says Senior Associate Agatha Howland. “There’s something to be said for building relationships with reporters across the media spectrum because they move so often now.”
Nurturing these relationships over time helps us provide a better service to those editorial contacts and to our clients. When reporters move to different publications, we connect with their replacements and also get our foot in the door at their new destination. By doing this dozens of times over, our rolodexes are greatly expanded and clients are able to deliver their messages and perspectives across an array of publications. Simply put, we take what could be a problem and turn it into an opportunity.
Also, our goal is not merely to play the role of facilitator. We also help clients cultivate connections with different editors and reporters.
“Our goal is to make clients as comfortable and confident as they can be with reporters,” Howland says. “But that all starts with Greentarget developing the initial relationship – something that takes empathy for reporters and for their needs. Without that introduction, our media efforts suffer.”
Be Adaptable, Empathetic
Clients get worried when they hear about large layoffs at publications or the revolving door of reporters. It’s our job to work through these changes and instill confidence back into our clients.
“They expect us to keep up to date on big changes impacting the media environment, and are always looking for a better understanding of how to get covered in the publications that matter most to their key stakeholders,” says Lisa Seidenberg, Associate Vice President, Media Relations. “When there are shifts at those publications, it’s important that we communicate these changes to clients and reassure them that it won’t change our relationship with the outlets moving forward.”
We need a steady mind and a steady hand, even in the midst of great change, to help our clients stay relevant and confident in their areas of expertise. Over the last year, there has been a noticeable change in the media environment as reporters shift their focus away from increasing digital traffic and pursue the news with renewed purpose.
“Given the current political environment, reporters and editors are more committed to telling the stories that are important to their readers in the most honest way possible,” Seidenberg says. “They are going back to the values that likely spurred them to become journalists in the first place.”
Understand the Landscape (on a Broader Scale)
A strong understanding of the evolving media landscape allows us to advise on the challenges and opportunities involved in gaining earned media coverage; it’s what our clients depend on us to deliver. It’s crucial to making their thought leadership campaigns as effective as possible.
“[Clients] look to us for guidance for what they should turn around and tell their bosses,” says Pam Munoz, Senior Vice President. “Clients depend on us in a big way to understand the landscape and how to navigate around these changes to make sure that they’re visible in the marketplace.”
“We are designed to help clients create smarter conversations, and it’s all to meet business objectives,” Munoz says. “[Our clients] have an obligation to educate reporters, to be quoted, to contribute to these conversations in the public domain.”
